


No Longer Puppy Love

by wishfulFeline



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Canon Compliant, Childhood Friends, Declarations Of Love, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Post-Canon, Post-Time Skip, Sort of? - Freeform, as romance should be, theres so much stupid flirting and joking around, victor steps several steps in a relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:21:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22326253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wishfulFeline/pseuds/wishfulFeline
Summary: Despite their feelings being out in the open and obvious, Hop and Victor haven't done anything to establish an actual romantic relationship. Victor plans to change that. Like, a lot.
Relationships: Hop/Masaru | Victor
Comments: 9
Kudos: 152





	No Longer Puppy Love

**Author's Note:**

> -Hop is a Pokémon Professor, Victor is The Champion, and Gloria is grass gym trainer.  
> -Hop has Inteleon & Zamazenta, Victor has Cinderace & Zacian, and Gloria has Rillabloom.   
> -This is probably at least 4 or 5 years post-canon, but you can see it as more if you want.  
> -Victor and Gloria are siblings.  
> -The designs I had in mind were the ones designed by gummymela on tumblr, but you can use your imagination is you'd prefer.

“Goodbyeee Gloria!” Victor cheered, raising his arms in the air in triumph. 

“Don’t be like that to your widdle sister, Champion!” Gloria whined. “Or I’ll beat you. Not in a Pokémon battle, I am literally going to kick your ass, nitwit.”

“You’re saying this after I spent all day helping you!?” he wailed.

Gloria scoffed. “Exactly. So leeeave.”

“Uh, exactly, so that’s why you should be more grateful!” Victor huffed. The way he dealt with his sister contrasted enormously with his usual public image. “What do you even have in all those boxes, anyway!?”

“That’s not your business! Beeeh!” Gloria said, sticking out her tongue. Victor sighed and shook his head but he was smiling. He wouldn’t tell her, but he was really happy for Gloria. After saving up for some time, she was able to finally move to Turffield and become a gym trainer at the grass type gym. She swore that next year, now having another leg up, she would be the one to dethrone him. He didn’t plan on letting that happen, but he was still happy she wasn’t near giving up.

He still had Marnie, a dark type gym trainer, and Bede, the fairy type gym leader, to be on the lookout for too! He didn’t plan on ever letting his good fortune of becoming the champion going to waste.

Especially considering who's dream he had to crush for it.

He pushed the thought from his head, shaking it like a wet dog, before taking a step into the train station. No Wooloo blockade today. But...no traveling companion either.

_ Augh, stop it Victor!  _ What’s with his head being filled with Hop this evening!? Hop was doing great! ...To his knowledge. Well, Victor  _ hoped  _ he was doing great...he oughta give him a call. Make sure everything was okay.

Any reason was a good reason to talk to Hop. He could ask him how—

**_WAIT, WHAT!?_ **

Victor hit call on Hop’s contact in an instant. 

“Hop, I’m so mad at you!” Victor shouted, causing Hop to jerk away from his phone. 

“What the hell are you talking about!?” Hop responded, immensely confused. 

Victor huffed. “Why didn’t you tell me you were gonna be in a magazine!? And the  **cover** article, no less!”

Hop laughed, relieved that he hadn’t done anything seriously wrong. “That? I kind of assumed that…” His voice dropped in volume out of embarrassment. “Well, you’ve been in so many, I figured it probably wouldn’t warrant any bragging rights to you.”

“Rubbish! Hop, you and your thick head, Arceus...You! This is amazing! The cover of a magazine featuring  _ you  _ **_TOUCHING ETERNATUS!_ ** That’s absolutely bonkers! You’ve got the biggest monstrosity I’ve ever seen as your buddy!”

Hop blushed. “You’re the one who caught it and gave it to me to study…”

Victor stamped his foot, garnering some attention from passerby’s. “But I never went patting it’s head and just—hanging out with the damn thing!”

“Pfft! Victor, golly, are you jealous?” Hop chuckled.

“A little! But I’m still mad at you for not telling me! Plus, this article,” Victor smiled, “Professor Hop. Not Professor Sonia’s assistant. Professor Hop.”

Hop adjusted his reading glasses. “Sonia was the one who insisted they write that...it’s kind of like declaring this is the step I’ve made that’s worth calling myself a professor for.” He clenched his fist. “But I’m only just getting started! There’s still so many questions left unanswered, and for each I do, more arise as a result! There’s so much information I’m excited to share with people once I’m one hundred percent sure I can prove it all!” he rambled excitedly.

Victor half covered his mouth to cover his big grin. “Hearing you so excited makes me excited too. I’m coming to visit you soon.”

“What!? How soon?” Hop asked, spinning in his chair.

“Sometime this week. I wasn’t sure which day so I figured I could surprise you.”

“Surprise me? Victor, we aren’t just little kids anymore, I could’ve been busy to the brim!” Hop scolded.

“Sorry, sorry! Haha, weird to hear you acting more mature than me,” Victor said.

“I feel like I should be offended, but I’ll let it pass. I’ll try and keep my schedule open the next few days, so...hurry over, okay?” Hop insisted. 

“I-I—“ Hop stuttered, unsure if he should say it. “I miss you a lot.” 

“Arceus, I’ve missed you so damn much Hop,” Victor sighed. “See you soon. Keep up the good work, Professor! Muah!” He said before ending the call.

Hop blushed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Victor was always so troublesome ever since he’d become champion. As kids he was always the more timid of the two, but now their roles were reversed, Victor flourishing in his title. 

Being called Professor certainly was a nice treat, though. He’d have to get used to it. He smiled, knowing that wouldn’t be something he’d mind. 

Victor pocketed his phone and started running. Where to? Nowhere in particular. He just wanted to run. Anything to make time go faster till he could see Hop. Body on autopilot he thought on just what he should say to Hop when he sees him...it hadn’t been  _ too  _ long since they’d last spent time together in person, not even a full month yet. But in January, the cold freezing his fingers, he couldn’t help but wish he had a hand to hold. 

Not like he and Hop were a couple or anything. The only way to put it was “it’s complicated” even if it really wasn’t. They were aware of their feelings, aware they were returned, had even said it aloud. But. Nothing ever really happened. No matter how often Victor daydreamed of coming home from a battle and getting a welcome back kiss from Hop before they talked about their days no matter how boring they might’ve been. But it wouldn’t be boring, because it was Hop, and with Hop it didn’t matter how repetitive or unnecessary it was, Victor wanted to listen. He wanted desperately to be with him and call him his boyfriend.

Was it really fair, though? They were apart so often. Neither knew when their lives might settle down or even if they  _ ever  _ would. Was it okay for Victor to keep Hop to himself? Yet, Hop was concerned over the same thing. As a young and charismatic man, Victor already seemed attractive enough, but being the champion, Hop felt certain that there were plenty of people who’d have fallen in love with him.

The holidays and New Years had passed without incident. No mistletoe or New Years kiss. They certainly had wanted to, but opted for having personal conversations instead. Sitting alone together, freeing their hearts felt good. They felt safe together. Especially after stopping the Darkest Day as a team.

_ I need to do something  _ both of them thought.  _ If I don’t, I might lose him and always regret it. _

_ But what  _ **_can_ ** _ I do? _

—

The silence felt cold rather than refreshing when sitting by himself in Sonia’s laboratory. He quickly was trying to fill out any paperwork and mail any letters that were urgent as soon as possible. He’d keep working on whatever he didn’t finish the next few says, but...not whenever Victor returned. So it was best to finish everything immediately! 

Hop was jolted to awareness by a chipper rhythm tapping on the door. He huffed and lifted himself out of his wheeled chair. His relaxed step turned into a sprint when he heard the voice of who was behind the door.

“Hoooop! Come and give me a hug, it’s chilly!” Victor jeered.

Hop swung the door open and ushered Victor inside. Before Victor could even give a proper greeting, Hop kicked the door closed and hugged him tightly.

“Hahaha! Did I surprise you?” Victor says, slightly muffled in Hop’s arms.

“Yes! What are you doing here this soon!?” Hop asked, loosening his vice grip on the shorter man. 

“Heehee...hearing your voice made me wanna come right away,” Victor said, smiling.

Hop hugged him again before releasing him. “How’d you know I was here?”

“Lucky guess,” Victor answered. “But actually not. Where else would you be this time of day?”

“I mean. Underground? In the trees?” Hop responded.

“Are you making a joke?” Victor asked, unsure.

“I’m not,” Hop replied, denying his assumption. “You think I wanna research just by reading? Gross. Especially when Sonia isn’t here like now.”

“Aw, she isn’t? I was hoping to say hello…” Victor said before returning to their original topic. “Right, what’s all this, then?” he quipped, gesturing to the tables in the room. 

“Augh, don’t look at that!” Hop said, rushing to pile the papers littering the table into less of a catastrophe. “I didn’t expect anyone to see me right now, alright?”

“Well that explains some things…” Victor purred.

Hop raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“You look kinda sexy right now…” Victor said, putting his chin in his hand thoughtfully.

“What the hell are you on about?” Hop responded, trying to mask his shame.

“‘Cause, like,” Victor began, walking closer to Hop and leaning on the table next to him with an elbow, “you’ve got your hair down and your glasses on. Two things I don’t get to see all the time. And, that sweater sure fits nice.”

Victor let his eyes drift down to Hop’s chest and waist, how the grey fabric adhered to his curves. His body had developed attractively and was similar to Leon’s build when he was their age despite Hop not having tried quite as hard for it.  _ What I wouldn’t give to get my hands on those _ —

Hop shielded himself as if he’d been caught naked, face reddening. “Are you seriously so shameless as to ogle someone right in front of you!?”

Victor laughed and leaned closer, running his fingers through some of Hop’s hair. “No, only when that someone is you.” He inhaled deeply.

Hop couldn’t decide if he wanted to shove Victor away or yank him closer. “Whatever. You have some really simple turn-ons…”

“Do I need to repeat myself?” Victor asked.

To Victor’s surprise, Hop placed his forehead in the space between Victor’s neck and shoulder. “You’re being really weird,” Hop said, deeply flustered. It wasn’t like this wasn’t what he wanted, but Victor being so directly flirty was a lot for him to take in.

“Mmh. Maybe. I decided I should try just saying what I’m thinking today. Too much?” Victor asked, smiling. 

Hop sighed, Victor’s familiar smell making his muscles relax. “Perhaps…”

“Your reactions are funny, though,” Victor said, patting his head.

Hop huffed in refusal yet didn’t move away. “What else am I supposed to say? Call you sexy back?”

Victor laughed and Hop grinned, sitting up to see Victor’s smile that he cherished. “Fine, I’ll do that, then. It makes me so frustrated how good your calves look in those leggings. And that any time I look at your biceps it makes my stomach flip.”

Victor hummed happily, trying not to let the fact he was triumphantly rejoicing inside show. “You like strong guys?”

Hop narrowed his eyes and smiled slyly. “Possibly. Are you counting yourself?”

“Well, I’d hope you’d count me, Professor,” Victor said. He didn’t miss the way Hop’s eyebrow twitched when he tried to repress his emotions. 

“In that case I do.”

Victor leaned onto Hop heavily. “You’re making me swoooon!”

Hop half-shoved half-held Victor off of him. “Full of energy as usual, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am! Ugh, Hop, traveling all day has made me so antsy. Let’s go out,” Victor pleaded. “Aren’t you jittery too? I’d expect you to complain on the daily about being indoors most of the time.”

Hop sighed exaggeratedly. “Arceus, it’s hard not to! I’m up and moving any chance I have. Sonia hates how I pace and tap my feet when I read.”

Victor swayed on his feet. “Oh thank Arceus, I was worried you were starting to act like an old man already.”

“I’ll have plenty of time to act like an old man when I’m an old man. Anywhere specifically you want to go? You’re the one visiting, after all, and whoever sees you is going to go ballistic,” Hop assured. He mockingly said “OMA! It’s Champion Victor! He’s so hawt! Can I get your autograph?”

Victor laughed but shook his head. “Do you think I like being treated like that?”

Hop seemed a bit surprised. “You don’t? I’d expect you to love the ego boost.”

“Actually, it’s—“ he elbowed Hop playfully “— **you** who’d feel like that.” Victor stood up straight. “I’m still me, y’know…? I’m not really the best at being the center of attention, never have been.” 

Hop smiled gentler than he was prior. His memories of them as children were sprinkled with times Victor had hidden behind Hop and just followed him around as if he had no clue what else to do. “I know. But you’ve gotten a lot better. Don’t need to hold my hand anymore.”

Victor pouted. “I’d rather like it if you did.”

Hop stood up and took Victor’s hand in his. “Alright, then how about this? Just us. Quiet, which I’m sure you haven’t gotten enough of in some time,” Hop proposed. 

“I couldn’t think of anything better…” Victor replied. “But which of our childhood bedrooms should we be tainting?”

Hop laughed as he elbowed Victor. “What the Hell, no! You know I mean the Slumbering Weald!”

“I know, I know, ahah!” Victor laughed, nudging Hop back.

They walked out the door with a skip in their step, as if they were kids again, their matching coats drifting behind them like the capes they’d once chased each other in.

“Waaah…” Victor breathed, said breath leaving behind a cloud of steam in the cold air. “I’m happy to have my jacket on. Real nippy out today, ey?”

Victor squeezed Hop’s hand. Even through his gloves Hop could feel the iciness of Victor’s bare fingertips. “And that’s the only thing you remembered! You’re going to make yourself sick!”

Victor smiled, unconcerned. “Just make me something when we go back. It’ll be all domestic and romantic.”

The idea made Hop happy no matter how cheesy Victor was being. “Here, at least I can…”

Hop took Victor’s other hand to cup both of them in his. He leaned forward and exhaled a few warm puffs of air into their hands. Victor felt his gut twist.  _ Why is this kind of hot?  _ he thought. Not in regards to temperature. 

It disappeared the second Hop looked up. His glasses were entirely clouded over. The two of them laughed for a moment at how silly the gesture had turned out to be.

The rest of their trek was considerably uneventful, but that was a good thing. It gave them time to catch up on the smaller stuff. When they made it to the gazebo where Zacian and Zamazenta’s sword and shield were displayed, they sat on the edge. They didn’t separate hands for more than a minute. Victor started their conversation back up with a harder than anticipated question. 

“What do you want to go after Dynamaxing research?” Victor asked innocently.

“That’s such a disastrous question!” Hop wailed. “My Dynamaxing research isn’t going to end anytime soon! If ever! Victor, I’m going to uncover everything there is to uncover,” he said with a determined grin. “I want to go down in history! Lee and you are already going to achieve that, so...I have to keep trying as hard as I can!”

Hop’s eyes were shimmering with passion, but Victor couldn’t help but look at him with some pity. “You already are too, stupid. You helped me save the lives of  _ countless _ people. It would’ve been impossible for me to make it through Rose Tower and stop Eternatus without you. Zamazenta chose  _ you  _ completely by itself. And then you helped Piers and I stop those dumbass twins from trying to cause havoc at all the gyms. And you made it all the way to the Champion Cup the year I beat your brother, and now you’re helping Sonia with her work and you’re going to end up doing so many amazing things, and—”   
Victor cut himself short when he realized how much Hop was caving in on himself. “You should try as hard as you can because you want to. You don’t need to try to be as important as us. You are.”

Hop looked at him, glassy eyed as though he were holding in tears. “That...you’re saying a lot of things that. Factually, are true, but. It’s,” he swallowed and couldn’t quite look Victor in the eyes. “I don’t think I can accept those feelings. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to.”

Victor sighed and placed a hand on his hip. “Then as much as it’ll piss you off I’ll keep cramming compliments down your throat until you’ve got no choice but to start agreeing. You trust me, don’t you?” he said, smiling.

Hop smiled back, it not really reaching his eyes. “You’re a good friend,” he said. It made him bitter to use that word. But what else could he say but friend?

Victor hummed and smiled. He’d change that. Not the good part, but the friend part. “Now, allow me to rephrase my question. I know Dynamaxing is the thing you’re most focused on, but isn’t there anything else you’re curious about?”

He can tell Hop doesn’t need to think to answer. “I do have something, but it isn’t anywhere near my field of study. Even if it isn’t something I end up contributing too, there are certain Pokémon classifications I truly don’t understand in the Pokédex.”

He doesn’t even need to look at it or any notes to go off on the subject. “Some decisions just don’t seem right off the bat, y’know? I might be drawing conclusions too quickly, but certain Pokémon don’t suit the physical attributes and move sets associated with their assigned typing, correct? My first hypothesis is that the types of Pokémon are decided based on what attacks they appear to be weaker or stronger against.”   
Without realizing, Hop had started bouncing and moving his arms in excitement like he always has. “So, a Pokémon listed as fighting type, despite not having any visual cues of it having that type, would be categorized on that basis regardless of all other factors. But another thing to take into account is the moves each Pokémon can learn! There can be situations where a Pokémon will end up growing to know not a single move of its typing! Isn’t that crazy? That something like that can happen without any trainer interference? Without any trainer interference! Another th—”

“Holy  **shit** Hop, slow down!” Victor shouted to interrupt his speech. Hop, upon realizing how long he’d been rambling, blushed. Victor laughed so hard he had to hunch over to catch his breath. Hop crossed his arms across his chest. “You’re so  _ cute!” _ Victor said, laughter still in his voice. 

Hop bristled in surprise. “Wh— _ Cute!? _ What was cute about me going off about type matchups?”

“Do you not remember? When we started our gym challenge all that time ago you seriously wouldn’t shut up about how much you loved type matchups. You were constantly trying to show off what you knew about Pokémon to me, it was  _ hilarious.  _ The fact you’re still doing that, just with bigger words, geez. That’s hysterical,” Victor reminded him.

“Shut up, you ass. I’ve changed plenty since then,” Hop retorted. 

Victor leaned his head to the side, nearly on to Hop’s. “Maybe. It’s kind of funny how much, actually. Some things have stayed the same. A lot, actually, which I’m grateful for, but...it’s kind of funny you ended up the more timid and serious one of us two. No one would’ve guessed that seeing us as kids.”

As much as Hop wished he could insist he wasn’t timid, it was a fact he sorrowfully had to accept. Around anyone he wasn’t close to, he ended up acting as mature and impersonal as possible. It felt like an act, but he found it necessary to be taken seriously. It’d turned him into somewhat of a loner. For an extrovert, it was almost painful living that way. “I wish I wasn’t,” Hop replied softly.

“I’ll like you however you are, Hop. You’re still you, deep down.”

Hop smiled. It was so pleasant to hear but for some reason he couldn’t quite place, it hurt too. 

“I’ve been thinking,” Victor said, “about how much I want to be with you.”

Hop turned to look at him, wide eyed.  _ Where is he going with this? Is it wrong to get my hopes up? _

“It made me think that since we’re here. Don’t you think it’s only fair we let them reunite too?” 

Hop smiled.  _ Ah. Of course _ . It quickly turned into a grin at how empathetic a thought it was. “Absolutely!”   
Victor chuckled seeing that Hop had his Pokéballs with him even just for their quiet stroll. That and the fact that it seemed that they both had not hesitated to incorporate the legendaries on to their main team. 

“Zach, Ethan, up an’ attem!”   
“Go, Zamazenta and Inteleon!”

They both laughed at each other for sending out their starters too. They hadn’t expected the other to have the same idea, rather that he’d do it and then tell the other too after. 

“Victor, you nicknamed it? A legendary?” Hop asked with an eyebrow raised.

Victor shrugged. “Yeah, why not? Named my Scorbunny when I got him and then a bunch of others. Just shows it’s my buddy now! Right, Zach?” he said, turning to the Pokémon.

But the four Pokémon seemed to already be completely distracted by one another. Zacian and Zamazenta sniffed each other and wagged their tails intensely, definitely enough to send a person flying. Cinderace and Inteleon were having what seemed to be a conversation that was mainly one-sided by Cinderace. Inteleon didn’t seem to mind, and was rather amused by him. 

Hop and Victor turned to each other excitedly. 

“Oh my Arceus, this was such a good idea,” Victor squealed.   
Hop nodded vigorously and hummed loudly in agreement, hands clenched excitedly.

Looking at Hop’s grinning face, Victor just...he really couldn’t wait any longer. It had been so incredibly long he’d been wanting to do it, and looking at Hop’s infectious smile, the shadows of the leaves leaving pretty patterns of light on his hair and cheeks, knowing how badly he missed him before then…

He met Hop’s eyes and Hop’s smile softened to match Victor’s. Victor reached up, running his fingers through Hop’s hair, making him shiver. 

“I’m going to kiss you,” Victor informed him. It wasn’t a question. 

Hop’s cheeks reddened, but his smile didn’t falter. His eyes were affectionate. “Yeah,” he said quietly.

So he did. 

It wasn’t the first kiss Hop had imagined having with Victor. His heart wasn’t hammering in his chest, his hands weren’t shaking. It felt right. It made him feel calm. Whole. Soft. It felt like  _ yeah. This is how things are meant to be.  _ Eyes still closed he blindly moved his hands around until they met Victor’s interlocking fingers with him. They separated for no more than a second, eyes opened just enough to look into the others before kissing again. Melting into each other.

They’d wanted this for so long they didn’t want the moment to end. They kissed, again and again. It was gentle and sensual, neither sure if it was right to deepen it.   
“Hop,” Victor said.   
“Mmh?”

“I’m in love with you. I love you with all my heart. I always have,” Victor said, shamelessly. 

Hop blushed, heart finally skipping a beat at the confession he’d dreamed of hearing for so long. “I love you too. I don’t know why I haven’t been using those words more,” Hop confessed.

Victor pushed Hop back enough to look at him in the eyes.

“Marry me,” he demanded with determination.  _ Well, that wasn’t what I meant to ask. _

Hop stared at him questioningly, but when seeing just how serious Victor looked, he burst out laughing.

“I’m serious, you asshole! Let’s get married!” Victor growled, squeezing his hands a few times in a row.

“Victor, we haven’t even been  _ dating, _ ” Hop reminded him.

“Have we not been? Are you sure? I mean, think back, if one of us was a girl I’m pretty sure most of the times we’ve been out together would get called a date!” Victor shot back.

Hop furrowed his brows, expression becoming more sheepish. Victor was absolutely right.

“And a ton of couples date for years before tying the knot, right? But we’ve been together more than half our lives! I don’t need to spend any more time debating if I want to stay with you always, I’ve been sure of that for a long time!” Victor ranted. As he went on, Hop became more and more flustered because  _ oh my Arceus is this an actual serious proposal he’s making? _

Victor went and did the thing Hop thought his heart would be swayed over and let go of Hop’s hands to stand up. And kneel down on one knee. Hop covered his face, his prior calm now demolished as his heart pounded. Victor tugged one of Hop’s hands into his own.

Peeking through his fingers, Hop noticed that Victor was just as nervous as he was. His hands were shaking. 

“I-I didn’t plan to do this today, so I don’t really have a ring or anything, but I can offer you my heart instead! So—S-So, Hop, be my husband!” Victor bowed his head, voice shaking. “I don’t ever want anyone else!”

Tears sprung to Hop’s eyes instantly and he leap forward into Victor’s arms. “Y-Y-You’re insane! No sane person would do this, you know!? Yes, of course I’ll marry you!” 

They sat there hugging for some time, swaying side to side slightly.

“What are we even supposed to tell people?” Hop asked.

“We’ve been dating in secret because we wanted to focus on our careers? Or I didn’t want you to be seen as the Champion’s boyfriend instead of Professor Hop?” Victor suggested.

“That’s actually really smart.”

“Thank you,” Victor said, nuzzling his head against Hop’s.

They remained there, softly talking about the future they would share while embracing each other until their Pokémon were the ones that insisted they go back.

“So, now should we defile one of our childhood bedrooms?”

“ **Victor!** ”

“Haha, joking, joking!”

“Keep it up and it’ll end up being yours.”

“Wait— **So are we gonna actually—!?** ”


End file.
